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Mauritania

The Sahara, the world's longest mineral train and Chinguetti.

Capital
Nouakchott
Currency
Ouguiya (MRU) — cash essential, cards rarely accepted
Flight from Abidjan
From Abidjan (varies)
Time difference
GMT (1 hour behind Cameroon)

Mauritania is among the destinations a Ivorian passport reaches without a visa. The Sahara, the world's longest mineral train and Chinguetti. Here: visa, real budget, best seasons and what to do — departing from Côte d'Ivoire.

Formalities

The visa, step by step

Visa-free
Allowed stay
short stay
Cost
Free
Processing
Immediate on arrival

How to apply

No visa for a short tourist stay: show a valid passport and a return ticket on arrival.

Required documents

  • Passport valid 6 months
  • Return ticket
  • Yellow fever certificate

Good to know

  • •Visa-free tourist stay; confirm the exact allowed duration before departure.
How much it costs

A one-week budget

Backpacker
300 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight
Comfort
690 000 FCFA
/ week, excl. flight

Round-trip flight from Douala / Yaoundé

360 000 FCFA–630 000 FCFA

Flights from Abidjan (Air Côte d'Ivoire, ASKY, Ethiopian, Royal Air Maroc…), depending on the destination.

Indicative round-trip price: it varies widely by season, layover and how early you book.

Where the money goes (backpacker estimate)

🏨168 000 FCFA
🍽️90 000 FCFA
🚕72 000 FCFA
🎟️90 000 FCFA
Hostel
5 400 FCFA–16 800 FCFA
Mid-range
39 000 FCFA–60 000 FCFA
Nice hotel
96 000 FCFA–180 000 FCFA
Tailored

Budget simulator

Comfort level
Estimated total budget
660 000 FCFA
Must-sees

What to do there

1

Banc d'Arguin

UNESCO national park: one of the world's largest migratory bird sites, viewed by pirogue.

2

Desert train

The world's longest iron-ore train (~700 km), from Zouérat to Nouadhibou, riding the open wagons.

3

Chinguetti

UNESCO holy city of the Adrar and its libraries of ancient manuscripts amid the dunes.

4

Nouakchott fish market

Pirogues returning to the beach: one of the capital's liveliest sights.

5

Adrar and Ouadane

Stone-and-dune desert, palm groves and the abandoned caravan city of Ouadane (UNESCO).

6

Eye of Africa (Richat)

Spectacular circular geological structure in the Sahara, near Ouadane.

Itinerary

One week, day by day

  1. D1

    Arrival in Nouakchott, settle in, fish market at sunset.

  2. D2

    Nouakchott: central market, national museum, Saharan crafts.

  3. D3

    Day trip to Banc d'Arguin, birdwatching by pirogue.

  4. D4

    Drive to the Adrar (Atar), bivouac in the dunes.

  5. D5

    Chinguetti: old town, manuscript libraries, dunes.

  6. D6

    Ouadane and view of the Richat (Eye of Africa).

  7. D7

    Return to Nouakchott, last shopping, return flight.

✓

Travel checklist

A printable list (or save as PDF) so you forget nothing.

Travel checklist — Mauritanie

Before you leave

What to pack

Visa sources: en.wikipedia.org

Indicative data (June 2026), reliability moyenne. Visa rules, prices and timelines change: always confirm with official sources before booking.

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